Age of Ultron: The Aftermath
by Aira Howell
Summary: Out of all the Avengers, Wanda suffered most from Ultron's actions. She had lost her home and her brother. Now she has joined the Avengers, and is trying her best to redeem herself. But her powers are threatening to tear her apart - as they grow within her they become harder to control, putting herself and her friends at risk. She's the wild card...that makes her dangerous.


It had been a little over a month since the Battle of Sokovia and what remained of the Avengers were still feeling the effects; Natasha was solemn and quiet, spending most of her spare trying her best to locate their teammate Bruce Banner who had gone missing. Tony was never around the new compound, trying his best to stay as far away from business as he could, taking a backseat from any action. Steve was the complete opposite, throwing himself into his work with the Avengers as there was nothing else for him to return to. Clint and Thor had departed, the latter returning to Asgard and the former retiring for a quiet life with his family. But no matter how many battered egos and lingering regrets haunted the teammates, none felt the effects of the recent conflict like Wanda. In the devastation she had not only lost her home, but also her brother and best friend. Everything that she had ever known had been cruelly snatched away from her by the harsh hand of karma. She had volunteered for the experiments. She instilled Ultron into the mind of Tony Stark. She had helped Ultron. The results of her actions were felt by so many innocent people...she had to accept that what she could do made her dangerous. What she had learnt under the guidance of Strucker, simple mind manipulation, telepathy, and other basic skills, just scraped the surface of what she could do. Wanda had only possessed her powers for just over a year, and her knowledge of them spanned over even less time. For all she knew she could destroy the world if she wanted to. Not that she would ever test that theory, of course, but according to both Strucker and Ultron, she was powerful...she just needed time to develop her powers.

In the aftermath of the conflict, with nowhere else to go and little interest in remaining in Sokovia, Wanda had returned to America with the Avengers. She could still feel the tension between herself and certain members of the team, but hoped that time would help them overcome the awkwardness. A part of her hoped that they had allowed her admission onto the team not because of pity but because she could prove useful; unfortunately the sympathetic yet untrusting stares she received on the flight from Sokovia to America quickly dismantled her hopes.

After a small spell at the Avengers Tower in New York, the permanent members of the team relocated themselves to a specially built compound a few miles outside the city. It was then that Stark informed them he was to merely consult on basic Avengers business, and only don the suit if a serious threat reared its head. Since then he had only appeared once or twice to check on things, as nothing of particular significance had popped up. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the new compound, Wanda found herself slowly settling in. It was a lot fancier than anything she had experienced before; she had her own spacious bedroom, something she felt she would never adjust to after years cooped up in a small space she was forced to share with someone else. When Wanda had been allocated her room she had been in awe of its grandeur. She walked through the door and to her right was the foot of a double bed; it was covered in satin sheets and decorated with half a dozen fancy pillows. Opposite her was a large flat screen TV, shiny and new, clearly just released from the confines of its cardboard box. It was attached to the wall in-between two large windows. Through them, light flooded the room, making it seem far bigger than it actually was. It was rather empty, sparse apart from the bed, a bedside table, and a chest of draws. On the far wall was a mirrored door, that slid across the reveal an empty wardrobe. She had bitterly chuckled to herself upon seeing it; she had no possessions to fill it, nor money to buy any. Her former life had essentially been erased and she was slowly being forced to build a new one.

As lovely as the room was, Wanda found that her first few nights in there were uncomfortable. It was not that she was ungrateful for it (after all they could have shoved her in a cupboard) but she just wasn't accustom to having such a large space with no one to share it with. It made the room seem emptier, and her nights seem lonelier. She missed Pietro; she missed the comfort of his presence, his cheeky smiles, and his carefree nature. He balanced her out, and without him, she felt like a piece of herself was missing. His death had broken something inside her, and Wanda knew that nothing could ever possibly fill the gap he had left in her heart.

Wanda tried her best not to put her grief on display for her teammates to see; while she was constantly hurting inside she knew that moping around would not only make things worse for herself, but also make the others think her weak. She did not need that, not when they already believed her to be dangerous. Throwing herself into the intense training session Steve ran seemed to be the best way to temporarily suppress her grief. They required so much focus and concentration it would distract her, even if only for a little while. Using her powers, Wanda could easily defend herself against any member of the team. Without them, however, she could not hold her own against any of them. Her agility and stamina were weak, as unlike the others, she was intensely trained in hand to hand combat, a super soldier, or an android. Disregarding her powers, she was simply an unfit teenage girl.

After a few weeks of training Wanda began to notice improvements; she could now throw a decent punch, even if it could really hurt anything yet. She could also feel herself growing more accustom to the early schedule, becoming less tired with each session. Every morning training would begin at six am, and like every other day Wanda dragged herself out of bed at 5:45, with just enough time to pull on clean clothes, brush her hair and clean her teeth. She liked the routine; it was the only thing in this entire situation that felt normal, and despite being only a minor detail it offered her a tiny bit of comfort. Within a few minutes Wanda had pulled her hair into a ponytail. She slid her wardrobe open and riffled through the few clothes she had, curtsey of Natasha, to try and find something suitable to wear for training. Every night she willed herself to get ready for the next morning, but always forgot to do so before going to bed. Normally she would quickly find clothes and pull them on, but this morning clean gym clothes were proving harder to find. After a few minutes of searching Wanda found a black t-shirt hidden in one of her draws, and gym pants crumpled at the back of her closet. Both seemed clean enough so she dressed, and put on her trainers before glancing at the clock on her bedside table. It read 5:55, letting her know she had only five minutes to make it to the other side of the compound. She would never make It in time. She would have to run, and even then she would most likely still be at least a few minutes late. As she left her room and began her journey, Wanda could almost imagine her brother jogging beside her, groaning at her antagonisingly slow pace. He would grow frustrated and simply carry her to their destination turning a ten minute journey into one that would span only a few seconds. The thought made her heart twang. She would give anything to hear his voice again , even if it was to hear him complain. Everyone on this team had lost someone; the others had lost people too, and all of them had attempted to give her advice on how to deal with the situation. But whether it was a mother, father, or friend, when Wanda lost Pietro she lost her twin, her friend, and her protector. For years her had been her only family, the only person she had or needed. It was only now he was gone that she truly appreciated the large role he had played in her life. Her situation wasn't more 'special' than anyone else's...it was just different.

When Wanda pushed open the doors to the training room, her heart sank to see her teammates, silent, clearly waiting for her arrival. Sam, Rhodes, and Vision, stood near the enterence, while Steve and Natasha stood together a little way off. She stole a glance at the clock. 6:03. It may be only three minutes, but she knew Steve would have something to say about it.

"I'm so sorry-" Wanda began, but Steve cut her off.

"We've talked about this before." He said his voice hard. "Clearly we need to talk again." Wanda pursed her lips and turned her eyes towards the ground. She was not as disciplined as the other avengers, and as a result she stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Now we're all here," said Cap with a pointed glance at Wanda, "We can begin. The focus of today is on teamwork. No matter how hard you can hit and how well you can fight your way out of a situation, if you can't work together, people way get hurt or worse. As a team working in sync is extremely important. You need to be able to predict what you teammate will do and use that to your advantage. You need to be able to trust each other out on the field, because if you can't trust every member of this team with your life we'll never win. It doesn't matter if you don't like each other. You just have to trust they'll be there to cover you when you need them too."

Wanda knew the harsh truth behind those words. She did not yet fully trust a single member of this team. While she was quite happy to rely on them to cover her in a fight, she wasn't sure if she would place her life in their hands just yet. She was sure the feeling was mutual; only a little while ago was she an enemy of the Avengers, fighting tooth and nail to bring about their destruction. Switching sides and fighting against people she had been taught to despise for a necessity to prevent a greater evil - at least, that's how she had viewed it back then. The Avengers feelings towards the twins had not budged either; in fact the only thing that had changed between them was that they now had a common enemy. So, overall, Wanda wasn't really surprised by the abundant lack of trust between herself and her teammates.

"As a spy I've worked with people who I knew nothing about. I never trusted them as there was always a chance they would turn on you." Said Natasha, her head high and her expression emotionless. "This is different. We're a team. But trust is not simply gained, it's earned." She looked at the Captain, a sly smile breaking the blank mask on her face. "We had thought together in New York, but we weren't really a team then. It wasn't until DC that we really started to trust one another. That trust made us a team, and as a unit made us stronger." Cap nodded in agreement.

"The best way to know how to work with your teammates is to fight them; that understanding of how they fight will allow you to work together seamlessly. Sam, with Natasha. Rhodes, you're with Wanda. Vision, with me. Simple fighting. No powers. Let's go." The group filtered off into their pairs, each moving into an empty space. Wanda faced Rhodes and nervously raised her fists. She had improved in the time she had been there, but she could still not hold her own against any of her teammates. She was by far the most unfit; she had never had to need to be in peak physical form. Pietro had carried her around for the past two years, and her powers meant that she could normally avoid hand to hand combat. However, now she was part of the Avengers it was essential she could fight both hand to hand as well as with her powers. Even if she was no good at it.

"You ready kid?" said Rhodes, mimicking her actions and raising his fists. She nodded tentatively. Rhodes let out a little chuckle at her nervous expression. "Don't worry I'll go easy on ya." He sent a jab in her direction which she quickly blocked. He tried again, sending a hit lower this time; again Wanda blocked it, but barely. He was still far too close to her; if he had been using his full strength his fist would've slammed right into her. She then attempted to hit him back, trying a quick shot to the chest. Rhodes easily blocked it and grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back.

"Ahh!" she cried, wincing in pain. It was only a few minutes into sparring and her opponent already had the upper-hand. Mustering all of the strength she could Wanda twisted herself back around and pushed Rhodes away. Taking advantage of his surprise she sent a kick in his direction, her foot landing on his stomach. He stumbled back in surprise, gasping to recover the air that had just been forced out of his lungs. Wanda lowered her guard for a split second. She was so surprised her attack had had some effect that she momentarily forgot to keep her fists up and her stance ready. Rhodes took advantage of this, propelling himself towards the frozen girl. Wanda acted without thinking, raising her hands in defence. Before anyone could realise what was happening, a burst of scarlet energy erupted from her hands, hitting Rhodes with such force he was propelled half way across the large room. Everyone stopped sparring, for a moment shocked by what had just happened. Steve came to his senses first, rushing towards where Rhodes was lying in middle of the floor. The rest of them followed, gathering around Rhodey.

"Rhodes are you okay?" said Steve leaning over his teammate, a look of concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine." He mumbled trying, but failing to push himself off the floor. He did not look injured, but the blast was a powerful one; the hit itself would've done some damage at least.

"I'm so sorry." said Wanda, her arms crossed nervously across her chest. "I didn't mean to do that. I was an accident."

"It's fine short stuff." He said with a groan "I'll walk it off." Steve and Sam helped Rhodes to his feet, supporting him between the two of them.

"I think that's it for training today." Said Steve. He glanced at Wanda with an expression she could not interpret. For just a moment, Wanda considered delving into his mind. However, since joining the team she had respected their boundaries, understanding she had to earn their trust.

When Sam, Steve and Rhodes began to hobble away Wanda and Vision stood there watching them go. A minute later Natasha cleared her throat. "You heard the Cap guys. Take five." She then headed off in the other direction, across the room, leaving Vision and Wanda standing there alone.

Wanda felt terrible. She had not meant to do that, and by using her powers she had proved to her team how out of control she really was. If she could control these gifts she could have prevented that burst of energy.

"Miss Maximoff are you quite alright?" asked Vision. Wanda jumped a little, having forgotten that he was there. She did not think it was possible but there was a look of concern etched on his face. The first time she had met Vision she had more afraid of him than she had ever been of anyone before. She had looked into his head before he was even alive and seen nothing but destruction...meeting him in the flesh had made her skin prickle with fear and her heart pound in her chest. He had sensed that, and offered her entrance into his mind once more. It was then she saw his true nature, not the one Ultron had envisioned for the android, but instead one of peace and harmony, a mission far more complex than anything Ultron could have ever imagined.

"Vision I am fine." She replied, offering him a small smile. "And please call me Wanda."

"Wanda then." Said Vision, inclined his head a little. He smiled in return. "Perhaps we should make our way to the living quarters. There is apparently no need for us to still be here."

"Perhaps we should." Said Wanda with a sigh. They began to make their way back towards the living quarters of the compound, leaving the empty space of the training hall behind. It seemed strange to Wanda leaving training so early for a change. Normally they would be here for a good three or four hours, getting tired and sweaty. Instead it was barely seven o'clock and they were already done. Except she couldn't enjoy it...she felt too guilty.

As she and Vision made their way through the compound, they passed a number of agents, all dressed in smart black uniforms, extremely similar to Natasha's. They were the remains of S.H.E.I.L.D, offered to come and work with the Avengers if they chose not to defect to the CIA or FBI. She still did not recognise many of the faces, though they all recognised her. The whispers of thoughts that trickled their way into Wanda's mind let her know exactly what they thought of her. They didn't trust her. Understandable, considering barely two months ago she had been fighting against the Avengers (all be it with good intentions). But it wasn't just because of her affiliation with Ultron that these agents didn't trust her; her powers scared them too. She could discover their secrets, steal their free will, and move things without a touch. She was uncontrollable...that made her dangerous. She looked at her colourful companion; he was even more abnormal than she. Wanda had been normal once. She could blend in with other people, disappear into a crowd; Vision didn't have that luxury. The strange looks didn't seem to bother him, however. The way he looked, what he could do, that was all he had known in the short time he had been alive. It was all he ever would no. The stares didn't bother him. His only concern seemed to be doing the right thing.

Ever since he had saved her as Sokovia City had plummeted towards the ground, she had felt an odd connection with him. In that moment she had come to terms with the fact that she would die. She wanted to die. The moment she felt Pietro's heart stop beating, so did hers. When Vision saved her it was an unwelcome surprise. It wasn't until he settled her safely on the ground that she was grateful.

The kitchen was empty when they arrived. No doubt Natasha was off on her lonesome somewhere, and Sam and Steve were still in medical with Rhodes. It was just Vision and Wanda. Vision settled himself at the counter while Wanda bustled around the kitchen pulling out a bowel and some fruit. She then sat across from him at the counter. As she ate, Vision looked at her with particular interest. Wanda had grown accustom to his fascination with simple human actions. He was still learning, and enjoying doing so. She couldn't help but smile at his look of childish wonder.

"Can you?" she asked after a few more moments, seeing him eyeing the ripe strawberries.

"Can I what?" he said. His voice the most silky smooth monotone that she had ever heard.

"Can you eat?"

He chuckled lightly. "I do not need to. Whether I can or not I do not know."

"Do you want to find out?" she offered him the bowl fruit. "Take one."

Gently Vision placed a finger on the bowel and pushed it back towards her. "Thank you for the offer, Wanda, but today I will decline." He kept his eyes on her the entire time he spoke.

"Fair enough." She placed the bowel back down and resumed eating her breakfast, Vision still watching her with childlike curiosity.

"You really are fascinating Wanda." Vision said suddenly. A blush rose to her cheeks, making her as red as the energy she could control.

"Thank you?" she replied will a giggle. The noise seemed odd escaping from her mouth. She had not laughed in so long.

"I find all humans fascinating, but you are particularly unique. Your gifts, what you've been through...fascinating."

"Clearly you need to meet more people Vision." She said with a laugh. "I'm really not that interesting compared to other."

He did not laugh, but his smile did not completely fade. He stared at her, admiring the red embers dance in her eyes as she laughed. It was something he had not seen before. "You'd be surprised, Miss Maximoff."

She pulled her eyes away from his, and for a moment there was silence between them.

"You know I never thanked you, at least not properly, for saving me."

If she knew it wasn't possible, Wanda thought that Vision just might be startled by her words. He replied instantly however, leaving not a heartbeat in-between their sentences.

"You do not need to thank me, Wanda. I would not have let you die." His words were strong. Final.

Wanda cocked her head to the side, eyeing her friend. "If you do not believe me look inside my head. My invitation."

"There is no need." She said, her accent thick on her words.

"I would not have let you die." He repeated again, his words firmer than before.

 _Sometimes I wish you would have._ She couldn't help the words slipping into her mind. Vision's head tilted slightly, as if he had heard her. Again, silence fell between them.

Wanda opened her mouth to ask Vision whether her had heard her, but before the words had a chance to escape her mouth a voice cut her off.

"Wanda we need to talk." said Steve as he entered the kitchen. He always walked with a posture that made Wanda think he was ready for anything. It was slightly intimidating, but awe-inspiring at the same time.

"Yes Captain. Is Rhodes okay?" She said quickly pushing herself away from the counter and to her feet.

Steve chuckled slightly. "Wanda when we're off duty call me Steve. How many times do I have to tell you? And he's fine. A little disorientated but fine."

"Sorry." She said sheepishly. She felt nervous, like a naughty school child about to be told off by a teacher. Some of her guilt seeped away hearing that Rhodes was okay. She still felt the heavy weight of responsibility in the chest. When she had first met Steve she had had no problem sassing him, calling him out, or fighting him. Now she was a member of his team, she felt different. She felt ashamed at her actions in the past and a need to atone for them. As a result her confidence had plummeted.

"Come on." He said. "Let's head to my office."

Wanda pursed her lips, glancing nervously at Vision before heading towards Steve. "I'll talk to you later Vision." He nodded at her with a smile. She smiled back. She felt a connection with him...their differences from the rest of the team made them more similar, gave them a bond if only through the gem alone. As she walked away with Steve the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter more intensely. She didn't like feeling nervous.


End file.
